Unfrel unveils various violations during polls

Unfrel unveils various violations during polls

JAKARTA (JP): The University Network for Free and Fair
Elections (Unfrel), a local poll watchdog, reported on Friday
several violations conducted during Monday's balloting in the
Depok mayoralty in West Java.

Unfrel election monitoring coordinator Tris Stiadi said on
Friday that violations, recorded in all three districts of the
mayoralty, ranged from unequal distribution of ballot cards by
district polling committees to suspicious calculations of votes,
both by members of polling stations and subdistrict polling
committees.

"We're seriously considering asking the Bogor mayoralty
elections committee to repeat the election process in Depok,"
Tris told The Jakarta Post.

The watchdog had 721 volunteers monitoring the election across
350 of 390 polling places in 23 subdistricts of Sukmajaya, Beji
and Pancoranmas districts.

Unfrel member Nurmala said outstanding cases were found at
four polling places of Tirtajaya subdistrict, Sukmajaya.

"We have the stamped, official forms from all four polling
stations. They show that the National Mandate Party (PAN) won
nearly 400 votes," Nurmala told the Post.

"However, the stamped form from the Tirtajaya PPS office shows
that PAN only won one vote at the provincial level and none at
the central and regional levels."

Unfrel, Tris added, has also asked the Bogor PPD II office to
hold an additional poll because scores of residents were barred
from exercising their rights when polling places closed at 2 p.m.

The General Elections Commission has ruled that polling
committees should try to finish by 2 p.m. but should extend the
hours if registered voters had not yet cast their ballots. (ylt)